There were 1,240 Soviet nuclear warheads stationed on Ukrainian territory when it gained independence in 1991 [1]. At the very least, these weapons could have b

There were 1,240 Soviet nuclear warheads stationed on Ukrainian territory when it gained independence in 1991 [1]. At the very least, these weapons could have been salvaged for their fissile materials (highly enriched uranium and weapons grade plutonium). Obtaining such fissile materials is about 90% of the effort of building nuclear weapons, and preventing the acquisition of them is about 90% of anti-proliferation efforts. I think that Ukraine could have easily deployed a nuclear deterrent in the 2010s if they had warehoused all those Soviet warheads in the 1990s. [1] https://www.nti.org/countries/ukraine/ https://www.nti.org/countries/ukraine/